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How do I import a citation into EndNote/RefWorks/etc.?

Study Citations

EndNote X4+ Users

If you click on Export > Citation > RIS, EndNote should automatically import the citation. If the citation comes through with the reference type "Computer Program," you'll need to update your RIS import filter, which can be obtained from EndNote's website. Simply download the file and place it in the EndNote X4/Filters folder; it will replace the pre-existing "RefMan RIS.enf" file.

Older Versions of EndNote

If you click on Export > Citation > RIS, EndNote should automatically import the citation. Unfortunately, the citation will come through with the reference type "Computer Program," due to how the EndNote software interprets the "DATA" publication type in RIS. To correct this issue, you can either upgrade your software, or follow the instructions on the EndNote website.

Other Bibliographic Software

Just click on Export > Citation > RIS. Your software will either import it automatically, or it will save a small citation file to your hard drive. Open your bibliographic software and look for an "Import" option in the "File" menu. In the dialogue box, point it at that file. There may be an additional menu that lets you specify the type of import; look for a filter labeled "RIS" or "RefMan RIS" or "Reference Information Systems."

Please note that RIS is a standard, but not all bibliographic software adheres to the standard. I.e., if you import a study citation into Zotero via RIS, it will call the citation a "Web Page," even though the RIS standard labels it a "Data file."

Publication Citations

This feature allows you to export a record from the ICPSR Bibliography of Data-related Literature. When you click on "Export citation" for a given record, you are able to save that citation in RIS format to EndNote, EndNote Web, Zotero, RefWorks, and other bibliographic management software:

Note: Zotero and EndNote both try to capture input from RIS files. To prevent Firefox/Zotero from automatically saving your exported citation, go into Zotero Preferences, and under Miscellaneous uncheck the box that says "Use Zotero for downloaded RIS/refer files."

Export to EndNote (application installed on your computer)

Click Export citation to launch the export application.

The system launches a dialog box.

Select the bibliography to which you wish to save the citation. As soon as you do this, the record is exported.

Note on EndNote Limitations: When you export a citation with a corporate author (not individuals with first and last names), you must correct an error that EndNote makes in the citation record. It imports the corporate author with the comma in the wrong place.

Per EndNote:

Corporate authors are parsed as if they were the names of individuals. In such cases, one must move the comma to the end of the line, e.g.:

Center for Economic, Studies needs to be changed to Center for Economic Studies,

Export to EndNote Web (if you are a registered user, and signed in)

Click Export citation to save the selected record to your library in EndNote Web. If you have not yet created a library, clicking this button automatically creates one for you.

Note: When using EndNote Web in a Mozilla Firefox browser, you may want to download an EndNote Web toolbar in Firefox to save online references directly into your library. See EndNote Web's Options/Download Installers for details.

Export to Zotero (if you have installed the Zotero extension to your Mozilla Firefox browser)

Click Export citation.

The record is exported to the Collection folder that is open in Zotero.

Export to RefWorks (if you are a registered user, and signed in)

Click Export citation to save the selected record in RIS format to your desktop.

In RefWorks, click the References menu and choose Import.

From the pull-down Import Filter/Data Source menu, choose RIS Format.

Click the Import Data from the following Text File toggle, and browse and choose the RIS file that you exported to your desktop.